


Steal Your Heart

by dbz2010



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Engagement, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 03:39:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9158470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dbz2010/pseuds/dbz2010
Summary: John tries to proposes to Kaidan on the newly rebuilt Citadel but when James shows up at the wrong time Kaidan thinks that John is cheating on him. Can John turn things around and convince Kaidan he is the only one that he loves? (post-ME3)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CelticGrace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticGrace/gifts).



> I am sorry about the lateness of this fic, Renee Horne
> 
> also, i suck at summaries so sorry about that as well ^^;
> 
> Ring reference: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f4/96/f0/f496f0cd10a182c4da1819871a4a6320.jpg

John twirled a small box around between his fingers as he leaned forward on the bench that he was sitting on in the middle of the newly renovated Presidium. He knew that he shouldn't be nervous but he was. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and he swore that his palms were sweaty. Briefly, he put the small box on his knee before he rubbed his palms on his pants before he picked up the box again.

"Hey, Commander," he heard from one side of his bench. "What are you doing here?"

He quickly hid the box behind his back as he looked up to see James walking towards him. 

"Hey, James," he said as he tried to remain as calm as possible. "Just waiting for Kaidan to get out of his Spectre meeting so that we can go to lunch."

"When is that supposed to be?"

John narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at the younger man. "It was supposed to be a half an hour ago," came a slightly sharp response.

"Ouch," James said as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Maybe the meeting ran a little late?"

"Maybe," John said as he lightly brushed a leaf off of his pants. He glanced around the Presidium to look for Kaidan for a few moments before he glanced back over at James to see a slightly smug look on the other man's face.

"Alright, something's got you all nervous," James said. "You might as well spill the beans."

John sighed before he pulled the box out from behind his back. James raised an eyebrow as he titled his head to one side. 

"Um...a small box?" the young lieutenant asked in a puzzled voice.

John rolled his eyes before he opened the box to reveal an elegant-looking golden ring.

James took a step back as he gave John a shocked look on his face. "Umm, Commander, I know we've known each other for a while but I don't think we are ready to take this step in our non-existent relationship."

John rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It isn't for you, James. It's for Kaidan."

"Oh," came a sigh of relief. "Well, then. Umm...good luck?"

"What? No words of encouragement?"

James shrugged. "Sorry, I've got nothing for you, Commander. I've never had to do something like this. I've never dated anyone seriously before I joined the military and after I joined I never really thought about it."

John nodded his head, realizing that he remembered that James had said something about that during the war. "Yeah. But still, any kind words from you other than good luck?"

"Yeah, loco," James said as he turned away to head towards one of the restaurants. "Don't get cold feet."

John chuckled as he watched the young lieutenant walk away before he turned his attention back to the crowd that was getting off of the elevator in the distance. He hoped that Kaidan was amongst the group as he quickly shut the ring box closed and he put it in the inner pocket of his coat that he was wearing.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
What seemed like hours later when in reality it was only about fifteen minute later Kaidan came rushing over to where John was seated, his face red with exhaustion and glittered with sweat.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Kaidan said in a sheepish tone of voice. “Councilor Sparatus wanted to have a private conversation with me about something and it went on for a little longer than it should have. I should have ended it ages ago but he just kept talking on and on.”

John chuckled as he shook his head. “Did he at least have anything useful to talk to you about?” he asked curiously.

“Nothing I can tell you, John,” Kaidan said. “I know we are both Spectres but you know that we both have our own separate assignments.”

"You're right," John said in a low voice. He knew that, too, but curiosity got the best of him. "So, are you ready to eat?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," Kaidan said as he patted his stomach lightly. 

John chuckled lightly as he stood up from the bench and followed Kaidan into the nearby restaurant, taking note that it was the same one that James had walked into fifteen minutes ago as he quickly patted his jacket pocket to make sure that the ring box was still securely in it.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
As soon as John entered the restaurant after Kaidan he immediately scanned the dining area for James and saw him sitting at a table by himself. He didn't see any food in front of him so he assumed that either he just got to the table or he hadn't gotten his food yet.

"Hey, do you want a booth or a table?" Kaidan asked, pulling John's attention back to him.

"Ummm...whatever you prefer," John said as he glanced around the dining area, wondering if he should have picked a booth. Those were farther away from James and he didn't want the young lieutenant to ruin the moment that he wanted to create even though he knew that James probably wanted to help John with the proposal to Kaidan.

“One table,” he heard Kaidan say to the hostess and he quickly followed after Kaidan as the hostess led them towards a two-seater that was near James’ table. He saw James look over at them before getting up from his table and he inwardly groaned. This was not going to go well for him.

“Uh, John, why is James here?” Kaidan asked as he noticed James stop by their table. 

John shook his head at James as he noticed the smirk on James face. He glanced down at Kaidan and opened his mouth to say something when he saw a frown cross over Kaidan’s face.

“You…you’re cheating on me,” Kaidan said with pain in his voice. “I thought…” The chair scrapped on the ground as Kaidan pushed away from the table. “Is this why you wanted to bring me here? To break up with me gently by bringing your new boyfriend with you?”

“Kaidan, you are thinking irrationally,” John said as he stood up. “I had no idea that he was still here.” He mentally face palmed as he realized how bad he worded what he said. “I mean…”

“I know what you meant, John,” Kaidan spat at him. He walked over and grabbed the jacket that John was wearing. “So, you get all dressed up for what? You never get dressed up for anything in your life, Shepard.”

"Kaidan, you know I wouldn't do this if it wasn't important," John said as he grabbed Kaidan's upper arm gently. "Why don't we sit down and talk things out. I am sure we can work things out like adults if you just calm down."

Kaidan frowned deepened as he tried to tug his arm out of John's grip but John held on firmly. "I am thinking clearly and what I am thinking is that this is a big mistake coming here. Let go of me." He tugged harder and harder until he knocked John off balance. John felt the ring box fall out of his jacket pocket but it seemed that Kaidan didn't see it since he already had his back turned to him at that point. Everything seemed to go slow for John for a few moments as he tried to grab for the ring box but he was a little too slow.

A few moments later, the ring box clattered to the ground and Kaidan stopped in his tracks. He turned around to see John picking up the box with a red face. He looked at John, then at James, then back at John before he realized that something was a little off about the entire thing. John stood up straight as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with one hand as he lightly gripped the ring box with the other.

"Hey, loco, the cat is out of the bag now. And it looks like you have an audience," James said as he nodded towards the other restaurant patrons and waiters that had stopped to see what the commotion at their table was all about.

"John," Kaidan said in a confused tone of voice. "What is this all about?"

John sighed as he turned to face Kaidan. "I was going to wait until after we got our food but it seems like my plan didn't really work out the way that I wanted it to." He nervously looked around the dining room before he got down on one knee, opened the ring box to reveal the gold engagement ring to Kaidan, and he looked up at the other man. "Kaidan, will you be my life partner?"

John smiled warmly as he waited patiently for the other man's response but all he saw was hesitation on Kaidan's face. The smile faded a bit as he held the ring up a little but higher. He was about to stand up when Kaidan suddenly bolted from the dining room and out of the restaurant.

"Dios mío, he heard James mutter from behind him. "I didn't expect Alenko to get cold feet." James walked over to John's side and nudged the other man with his foot. "Go after him, loco. I know he ran from you but damn you two are right for each other. Hell, he might be regretting running away from you and is waiting just outside the restaurant."

John quickly got to his feet and nodded his head. "You're right. Thanks, James."

"No problemo, loco," James said. "Just...go easy on him, okay?"

"I will," John said before he left the restaurant at a jog.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
James was wrong about Kaidan being right outside of the restaurant but John didn't have to go too far either to catch up to the young Biotic. Kaidan was halfway to the elevators before John caught up to him. He grabbed the other man's arm before he slowed Kaidan's run to a slow walk.

"Kaidan, stop," John said in a stern voice. "Let's just...talk, alright?" A few steps later, he finally got Kaidan to stop and he wrapped the arm that was still holding the ring box around the other man's shoulders. "What happened back there? I thought I was going to be the one with cold feet."

Kaidan remained silent for what seemed like ages before he turned around slightly to face John with a tear-streaked face. "I thought...I don't know, John. I had thought for months now that you had really been cheating on me. But now I realized that you hadn't been."

"Why did you think that? What clues did you have?" John asked in a confused tone of voice. He wasn't really sure that he had given Kaidan any indicators that he was cheating on him.

"I noticed that you would come home later than normal some days," Kaidan started to explain. "And then you would ask Joker and EDI some things that you normally would have asked me. And then there was James at the restaurant today."

John sighed and rubbed his forehead with one of his hands. Of course Kaidan would overreact to new changes that he was doing and think that something serious was going on like him cheating. "The late days was me doing overtime for me to pay for the ring. The questions to Joker and EDI were for wedding stuff. And James was there at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had caught me waiting for you outside of the restaurant and I think he decided to go inside of the same restaurant that we were going to eat lunch at. He probably wanted to be a witness to our proposal because I told him about me wanting to propose to you about fifteen minutes before you met me for our late lunch."

"You mean he didn't know about it until today? And you totally didn't cheat on me with him?" Kaidan asked, still unsure about anything that John had said.

"You can ask him yourself. Besides, I don't think he is interested in me anyways," John said in a slightly amused tone of voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I think he has been eyeing Cortez for a while now but he is too afraid to ask him out because of the whole fraternization thing that he had been abiding by."

Kaidan nodded his head. "Right, I forgot about that."

"Don't worry. I plan on doing something about that soon," John said with a small smirk on his lips.

"Calm down, John," Kaidan said. "You might scare them into not wanting to date each other." He sighed as he closed his eyes briefly. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean it is a big commitment."

"I know," John said. "And I know you've been talking about it for a while. I think we are ready to take the next step in our relationship if you are."

John could practically see the gears spinning in Kaidan's head as the other man looked down at the ground for a few moments. "Alright, but we are going with Shepard-Alenko as our married name, agreed?"

John nodded his head. "Agreed." He let go on Kaidan's shoulders, got down on one knee for a second time, and offered the ring to Kaidan. "Life partner?"

"Life partner." Kaidan nodded his head and smiled warmly down at John.

John stood up, slid the ring onto Kaidan's left ring finger, and tenderly kissed his new fiancé. He could hear cheering around him but he ignored it. All he wanted at that moment was Kaidan and all of the kisses he could get.


End file.
